Combined typewriting and computing machine



Dec. 15, 1931. o. THIEME v COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE ed July 2'7, 1928 Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE or'ro THIEME, or HARTFORD, comac'ncur, ASSIQNOR T mom-amuse COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A coaromnon or DELAWARE 0011mm) TYPEWRITING AND oomru'nno momma Application filed July 27,

This invention relates to combined typewriting and computing machines of the Underwood-Hanson type, and more particular.- ly to improved means for'insuring positive impact of the numeral-key-operated type I bars against a work-sheet on the platen.

In machines of this character, the digitkeys when depressed successively initiate movements of the digit-carrying type-bars to print numerals on a work-sheet carried by the platen. Concurrently said keys act through various mediums to set 'indexpins in the pin-bars through which the general operator subsequently runs the number into the dial-wheels of the register. Considerable pressure on the digit-keys has been required to perform these dual functions. Owing to inaccuracy of manufacture, it often happens that the key descends to a point where the index-pin is completely set up, but where thetype has not yet reached the paper on the platen. The index-pin can go no farther, and the key must therefore stop; and the type-bar is therefore not driven with full force against the platen, and the impression of the type is weak. It sometimes happens that the type does not even make an impression. This gives rise to the condition that a numeral is carried into the register of the adding mechanism, but does not appear upon the work-sheet.

.Moreover, an operator noting the omission of the numeral on the work-sheet may depress a key, whereby perhaps an index-pin may be erroneously set, and an unnoticed error be caused in the calculation.

An' object of this invention therefore is to avoid errors by providing for sufiicient force of the type-bar blows, together with a positive setting of the index-pins.

\ A feature of this invention lies in the provision of means effective to permit further movement of the key after the index-pin is set. whereby the depressed digit-key may cause its type-bar to strike the platen or a work-sheet thereon. A light pressure on the digit-key will both set the index-pin and properly actuate the type bar. The key may positively set the index-pin during very fast 1928. Serial No. 295,715.

operation, without being prevented from completing the stroke of the type-bar.

Other features and advantages will here- 'inafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a partial perspective in which parts have been broken away or omitted, and showing in general the type-action and pin-setting members of a combined typewriting and computing machine.

Figure 2 is a broken front elevation of parts seen in Figure 1, and shows the position of the index-pin setting crank-arms before the digit-keys are depressed.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but shows one bell-crank and index-pin setting crank-arm after the full depression of a digit-key.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section through Figure 2, looking from right to left.

Figure 5 shows a disassembled enlarged detail view of a pin-setting rock-shaft and a crank-arm.

Referring to the drawings, a main frame, not shown, of a combined typewriting and computing machine has a platen 11 on a shaft 12 which is journaled in the typewriter carriage, not shown. Digit-keys 13 on keylevers 14 which are fulcrumed at 15 actuate bell-cranks 16, to swing type-bar 17 against the face of the platen 11. A front plate 18 of a pin-setting frame supports a parallel plate '19, attached thereto upon riveted spacing studs 20 having nuts 21 and lock-nuts 22. The plate 19 has over-sized bolt-holes 23, near each end, whereby it may be vertically or horizontally adjusted.

Journaled in the front plate 18 are rockshafts 24, each shaft having a straddle millcut end 25 which fits irregular holes 26 in crank-arms 27, and each arm is secured to a. shaft by a screw 28. Each crank-arm may be counterbored as at 29, for partially housing a hardened roller 30 which is attached thereto by a stud 31. Alternate arms 27 are staggered to give working clearance therebetween, by the use of two lengths of rockshafts, and said shafts may be made reciprocable in a well-known manner, to function operations.

for both adding and subtracting pin-setting The plate 19 carries riveted studs 32. Each stud is formed with a spacing collar, a hub,

and an axial spur. On the hubs are rotatably mounted bell-cranks. 33, held by washers 34,

over which the spurs are riveted. Each bellcrank 33 has a normally vertical arm bent back as at 35, and a normally horizontal arm having its free end formed into an upper and a lower ear. The latter carries a roller 36 while the upper ear carries a roller 37 These rollers are held on opposite sides of the arm by riveted studs.

In mounting the bell-cranks 33 on the plate 19, they have a staggered relation through the use of alternate wide and narrow spacing collars on the studs 32, and, when so assembled, each roller 36 will overlie and engage one of the staggered rollers 30.

Lying parallel to, and in front of, the plate I 19, is a sliding plate 38. At one end, the latter is cut back as at 39 and 40, to leave a tongue 41. The cut back portion 39 is pinned in a slot in the end of a sliding bolt 42 which is supported in a bracket 43, attached to the front plate 18, through ears 47 and screws 44. The tongue 41 slides in a slot at the edge of the hole through which said bolt slides and prevents the sliding plate from turning.

I pinned in the slot of another sliding bolt 45.

4 ported on bell-cranks 54, which are fulcrumed Attached to the rock-shafts 24 are arms 51,-

each of which abuts a pin 52 carried by each linkage 53. The linkages are pivotally'supon shafts 55. Also pivotally supported by the bell-cranks 54 are lower links or digitbars 56, which are depressed when the pins 52 are moved toward the left. Each linkage 53 has a contractile spring 57, normally pulling toward the right. This raises the digitbars until stops 58 abut the bell-cranks 54. When'depressed, a digit-bar 56 will depress an index-pin 59.

The index-pins 59 are mounted in forwardly and rearwardly extending denominational pin-bars'60, which at their forward ends have racks 61 meshing with pinions 62 that actuate dial-wheels 63. A cross-bar 64 forms part of a general operator, not fully shown, and engages the depressed index-pins to move the pin-bars forward and run the pin values into the dial-wheels. The pins 59 are held in raised or depressed position through- 37 At the other end, the sliding plate 38 is springs or spring-pressed detents 65. These pins are intermittently restored to a raised position by well-known means not shown.

On' the main frame is a flange or guideplate 66 (Figures 2 and 4), having two parallel series of guide-holes that respectively overlie the spaces between the plates 18 and 19, and 19 and 38. Through one series of guideholes, key-stems 67 are downwardly actuated to depress the rollers 37. These key-stems.

are fulcrumed at 68, on the key-levers 14,

which normally hold them in a raised position. The key-stems carry stem-adjusting yokes 69, which support pivotally suspended lock-stems 70 that pass through the other series of holes in the guide-plate. The lockstems can engage rockers 71, hung on studs 72, and ina 'well-known manner prevent the depression of more than one index-pin at a time.

When this invention has been embodied in a machine of the aforementioned class, the arms 27 and bell-cranks 33 will normally lie as shown in Figure 2. As soon as a digit-key is depressed, it initiates an upward swing of a type-bar 17 which gathers momentum as the downward pressure is maintained on the key. This momentum accumulates untrammelled until a key-stem engagesan underlying roller As the depressed key-stem strikes the roller 37, the horizontal arm of the bell-crank 33 1s swung down with its other attached roller 36. The latter, through engagement with the roller or enlargement 30, in turn depresses the crank-arm 27 -which rotates the rockshaft 24. The rock-shaft actuates the link age 56 to depress an index-pin 59, as shown in Figure 1. In such position, the index-pin can function with an ensuing operation of the general operator.

During the downward actuation of the key I stem, a resistance is met when the stem strikes the roller 37. This resistance is lessened through the rotation of the roller by the stem, as the latter swings theroller down. Simultaneously the abutting rollers 30and 36 will rotate as they are actuated to swing the arm 27. The rolling friction provided through these rollers insures an easy depression of the digit-keys. A light pressure on the latter will therefore suffice to set the index-pins, when the numeral-type bars are actuated.

In Figure 3 is shown a line through the respective axes of the roller or enlargement 30 and the bell-crank 33. When the roller 36 is axially on this line, the correlative index-pin will have reached the key-actuated limit of its depression. A further depression of the keybell-crank andthe crank-arm. In efiect a shown in Figure 3.

the stroke of the type-bar.

The above-mentioned dwell or lost-motion 'zone is adjustable within certain limits,

wherein the further depression of a key-stem is not arrested until its type-bar strikes the platen. or a work-sheet thereon. When the latter has been accomplished, the digit-ke is released and is automatically restored to normal position.

With the depressed key-stem raised, one of the arms 27 and bell-cranks 33would ordinarily still remain in the depressed positions This is due to the overcenter position of the roller 36, which tends to lock down the arm 27 against the pull of its co-ordinating spring 57; Said bellcrank 33 is returned by means of its vertical extended arm 35. This is done through one of the studs 50, which has previously been engaged by said arm 35 as it was swung to the left by the depressed key-stem.

As the key-stem rises, the sliding plate 38 is pulled to the right by the spring 49 untll the cut-back end hits the bracket 43. During this movement, the vertical arm 35 is pulled slightly to the right by one of the studs 50. This rocking of the bell-crank is sufiicient to move the roller 36 over the dead-center of the roller 30, whereby said arm 27 is free to be raised to a horizontal position by 1ts spring 57. As the arm 27 rises, it also raises e over-riding bell-cranks 33 to a normal position. All said arms and bell-cranks therefore will again lie as shown in Figure 2.

When a locked bell-crank, as shown in Figure 3, is restored to normal position, its roller 36 in over-riding the roller 30 will again depress the crank-arm 27, and this arm therefore is-swung down twice, each time a digitkey is actuated. This causes a double depression of the co-ordinating digit-bar 56, which thus acts twice to insure a positive setting of one of the index-pins. This is important where the digit-keys are actuated at a very high speed. Under such conditions the long digit-bars may spring upward slightly when they first hit the index-pins, and therefore fail to depress them fully.

After an initial upward spring of the digit-bars, a natural rebound quickly restores bars, which insures an easier and speedier operation of the digit-keys.

As aforementioned, the rock-shafts 24 are journaled in the front late 18, and the bellcranks 33 are fulcrumed on the plate 19. The latter is made adjustable both horizontally and vertically in order to establish the correct relation between the rollers 36 and 30. This is necessary to provide the pro er lost motion for the crank-arms 27, after t e rolly ers 36 have swung down and over the rollers or enlargements 30.

As reviously mentioned, a stud must rock t e depressed bell-crank 33 before the lockedydown crank-arm 27 can swing up. To insure suflicient rocking, the engaging stud must have the'proper leverage on the vertical arm of the bell-crank. To provide such proper leverage, the studs are mounted on the sliding plate '38.- The latter through its'adjustable end bracket 43 may then be set to insure a proper functioning of the attached studs.

In this invention the shafts of the crankarms 27 lie in the same horizontal plane, and are equidistant from each other. This is also true respectively of the bell-cranks 33, and the studs 50. All the crank-arms, all the bellcranks, and all the studs, are respectively exactly like the others in their series. It follows then that when the plate 19 is adjusted correctly, all the bell-cranks 33 will bear a correct relation with all the corresponding crank-arms 27. This correct relationship having been established, acorrect positioning of the sliding plate 38 will then place all the attached studs 50 in correct positions to properly rock all the bellcranks 33. For these reasons, a separate adjustment is not re quired for each bell-crank 33 or stud 50.

In forming the key-stems 67, each alternate stem is cut out respectively on its front or its rear edge, as shown in Figure 1. This leaves the lower portion of alternate stems in staggered relation. Such staggering permits the stems to overlie and engage the correspondingly staggered rollers 37. One series of holes in the guide-plate 66 is therefore staggered to register with the key-stems which it guides.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a computing machine, the combination with type-operating keys, numeral-types operable thereby, and pin-indexing shafts, each shaft having a crank-arm, of a pivoted arm intermediate each key and the crankarm of each shaft operable to depress the crank-arm and rock the shaft, each crankarm havin an anti-friction roll and each pivoted arm iaving an anti-friction roll to engage the roll of the crank-arm.

2. In a computing machine, the combinaby, and a series of pin-indexing parallel shafts, each shaft having a crank-arm, of

means intermediate each key and the crankarm of each shaft, operable to depress the crank arm to rock the shaft and set up a pin before the key has been fully depressed to print, the series of shafts having alternate long and short lengths to stagger the rocking plane of their crank-arms to avoid interference one with the other. I

'4. In a computing machine, the combination with keys, numeral-types operable thereby, and a series of pin-indexing shafts, each shaft having a crank-arm, of means intermediate each key and the crank-arm of each shaft, operable to depress the crank-arm to rock the shaft and set up a pin before the key has been fully depressed to print, the series of'shafts having alternatelong and short lengths to stagger the rocking plane of their crank-arms to avoid interference one with the other, and the intermediate means including individual supports therefor having a staggered relation operatively corresponding to the staggered positions of the crankarms.

5. In a computing machine, the combinations with numeral-type-operating keys, and pin-indexing rock-shafts, of means intermediate each key and each shaft operable to fully rock the shaft to set its pin before the key has been fully depressed to print, said intermediate means including a pivoted arm engageable by the key to engage the shaftrocking means, means being provided to hold the shaft against returning to normal position during further depression of the key, means to return the pivoted arm, and means to return the shaft.

6. In a computing machine, the combination with keys, numeral-types operable thereby, computing shafts, said keys having means connectible to rock the computing shafts, register-wheel-driving pin-bars, denominational pins thereon, and means to enable each shaft when rocked by its key to set up a denominational pin upon a pin-bar, of means intermediate each key and each shaft operable to fully rock the shaft to set its pin before the key has been fully depressed to print, said intermediate means including a pivoted arm having an anti-friction roll engageable by the key, said arm operable to engage the shaft-rocking means.

7 In a computing machine, the combination with-keys, numeral-types operable there} by, computing shafts, said keys having means connectible to rock the computing shafts, register-wheel-driving pin-bars, denominational pins thereon, and means to enable each nominational pin upon a pin-bar, of means intermediate each key and each shaft operable to fully. rock the shaft to set its pinbe- I fore the key has been fully depressed to print,

said intermediate means including a pivoted j arm havlng a pair of anti-friction rolls, one

means to enable each shaft when rocked by its crank-arm to set up a denominational pin upon a pin-bar mounted in a frame, of an antifriction roll mounted upon each crank-arm, arms pivotally mounted upon' said frame, one arm between each key and each crankarm to be rocked by the key, and an anti-friction roll mounted upon each pivoted arm to engage the roll on the crank-arm to rock the shaft when the key isdepresse'd.

'9. In'acomputing machine, the combination with keys, numeral-types operable thereby, computing shafts,each shaft having a rockable crank-arm, register-Wheel-driving pin-bars, denominational pins thereon, and means to enable each shaft when rocked by its crank-arm to set up a denominational pin anti-friction roll mounted upon each crank-V arm, arms pivotally mounted upon said frame, one arm between each key and each crank-armto be rocked by the key, and a pair of anti-friction rolls mounted upon each pivoted arm, one roll engageable by the keyto rock the arm and the other roll engageable with the roll upon the crank-arm to rock its shaft and fully depress its denominational pin before the key is fully depressed to print.

10. In a computing machine, the combination with keys, numeral-types operable thereby, computing shafts, each shaft having a rockable crank-arm, register-wheel-driving pin-bars, denominational pins thereon, and means to enable each shaft when rocked by its crank-arm to set up a denominational pin .70 shaft when rocked byits key to set up a deupon a pin-bar mounted in a frame, of an will transmit a pressure to set a pin and then release the pin from said pressure during the down stroke of the key.

11. In a computing machine, the combina-, tion with numeral-type operating keys, and pin-indexing rock-shafts, of a device intermediate each key and each shaftrocking means, operable to rock the shaft to set a pin before the key in fully depressed to print, said device having motion-transmitting means whereby neither the throw of the numeral-types in printing nor the setting of the pins in computing will be arrested one by the other.

12. In a computing machine, the combination with keys, numeral-types operable thereby, computing shafts to which said keys are connectible, register-wheel-driving pin-bars, denominational pins thereon, means to enable each shaft when rocked by its key to set up a denominational pin upon a pin-bar, and a crank-arm secured to each shaft and depressible by a key to rock the shaft, of means intermediate each key and each crankarm operable to be depressed by a key, to rock its shaft and set up a pin before the depression of the key is completed.

13. In a computing machine, the combination with numeral-type operating keys, and pin-indexing rock-shafts having crank-arms, of bell-cranks, one arm of each bell-crank extending between each key and its crankarm, whereby the crank-arm may be depressed by the key to rock a shaft, and universal means slidably supported and having restoring means tensioned by the swing of an arm of each depressed each bell-crank will be given restoring movement when its depressed key is released.

14. In a computing machine, the combination with numeral-ty'pe-keys and pin-indexing shafts, each having a crank-arm, of means to enable each key to depress the crank-arm to rock its shaft and set up a pin before the key has been fully depressed to print, said depressing means having a dwell portion to permit the key to have further movement for completing the operation of y the type-bar while holding the crank-arm depressed.

15. In a computing machine, the combination with nuineral-type-keys and pin-indexmg shafts, of means to enable each key to rock its shaft and set up a pin before the key has been fully depressed to print, said rocking means including a rock-arm engageable by the key, said shaft having an arm engageable by said rock-arm.

, OTTO THIEME.

bell-crank, whereby 

